Romance, Historical or Otherwise discussion
What Are You Reading Now?
Regina wrote: "When Marcella? That is great!!"I booked the trip from 7/27/2013-8/6/2013. My sis, her boys and I are going to Oahu. My ticket was $432.00.
Great price! Have you found a hotel?
I know my sis and I have talked about Hawaii for years and a co-worker of ours is going next March and told us about the great deal American Airlines was having. We missed out on that deal but I got this deal from Hawaiian Airlines. We haven't found a hotel yet. We wanted to rent a condo or something so we can have access to a kitchen to save money on eating out for 3 meals a day for over a week. That will get real expensive. We were thinking we could make a big breakfast, buy cold cuts and make sandwiches for lunch and go out to dinner. They have Costco and Walmart there so we can buy food.
Marcella that is what my family does when we go on vacation, we rent a house or condo. I love checking out homeaway.com and vrbo.com for deals. It saves money per night in terms of hotel fees and for money.
I will check those out Regina...thanks!
Megan wrote: "I have a one month old....Congrats, Megan!! I've been meaning to say that back when you were pregnant! I hope you, baby and family are doing well!
Marcella wrote: "Could it be that you listened to it instead of reading that it was too complicated...well more than usual? "I've only listened to the first 3 books and had no problems whatsover understanding what was going on.
The thing with audiobooks that the narrator has to find the right balance between reading the words, portraying the emotion but not dragging it out. If the book goes too fast, then you get that antsy feeling like when somebody talks and talks without taking a breath. You get tired just by listening! Also, I don't listen exclusively - most of the time I'm walking or doing chores so I don't want to listen to an audio that needs 100% of my concentration and even then I can't follow what's going on.
Yay, Marcella! You will have a blast. I so wish I could go back to Hawaii.I started and finished
. It was very sweet. I don't think I'll read more of this series though...I need more steam and physical interaction (a hug or embrace is just not enough. I needed at least a kiss in the story but there was none).Not sure what to read next...
That's great about your vacation, Marcella! And the price is really good! Where are you flying from? :)
Kay wrote: "Yay, Marcella! You will have a blast. I so wish I could go back to Hawaii.I started and finished
. It was very sweet. I don't think I'll read more of this seri..."Yeah, Kay, it was very simple and very sweet. I stopped after the second book, I think.
D.G. ~Shameless Hussy~ wrote: "That's great about your vacation, Marcella! And the price is really good! Where are you flying from? :)"Thanks! I am flying from LAX.
Marcella wrote: "Guess what I did this morning ladies. I just booked my vacation for next year. I am going to HAWAII!!!!!!!!"Enjoy!!!! I went to Maui and Oahu 7 years ago, it was amazing!!
Megan, hope all is well with the baby. :) Happy belated bday as well!Marcella, have fun in Hawaii. I'm jealous!
D.G. I really liked What's Left of Me.
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Laura wrote: "Marcella wrote: "Guess what I did this morning ladies. I just booked my vacation for next year. I am going to HAWAII!!!!!!!!"Enjoy!!!! I went to Maui and Oahu 7 years ago, it was amazing!!"
Hey Laura! Long time no talk. How are you? Thanks my sis and I are excited. I am just not looking forward to flying. I hate flying.
Stacia ~ mistress of mediocrity wrote: "Megan, hope all is well with the baby. :) Happy belated bday as well!Marcella, have fun in Hawaii. I'm jealous!
D.G. I really liked What's Left of Me.
Started
"Thanks Stacia!
Kay wrote: "Megan wrote: "I have a one month old....Congrats, Megan!! I've been meaning to say that back when you were pregnant! I hope you, baby and family are doing well!"
Thanks Kay! :) The pregnancy seemed to go so fast. He is a great baby, so I am very lucky.
Congratulations! Babies are wonderful. :D
Stacia ~ mistress of mediocrity wrote: "Megan, hope all is well with the baby. :) Happy belated bday as well!Marcella, have fun in Hawaii. I'm jealous!
D.G. I really liked What's Left of Me.
Started
"Thanks Stacia. My husband and I both had birthdays, our anniversary, and the birth of our son within 3 weeks. We are feeling rather old, lol.
Congrats Megan! I love babies. It is when they grow up and start throwing attitude that I can live without. I don't have kids. My nephews are my birth control. LOL!
Oh wow, Megan! You had a really busy month there!LOL, I'm like you, Marcella. Loove babies but not so much after they are 8 or 9.
I disagree. :) my 9 yr old and 13 yr old are so fun. I love listening them talk to their friends or talking with them. Get togethers with their friends and even just activities with our are so much funner the older they get and easier! Plus they are so much more useful, can do chores and can come home with independent ideas and things to talk about. I love it the older they get.
I think the age from 7 to 11 is a lot of fun. They're old enough to take places and do a lot of things with, but they haven't reached the snitty pre-teen phase. Both of my kids are younger and older than that phase, so I feel like I'm in constant headache mode.
Regina wrote: "I disagree. :) my 9 yr old and 13 yr old are so fun. I love listening them talk to their friends or talking with them. Get togethers with their friends and even just activities with our are so much..."My nephews are the same age Regina and they drive me crazy. When they are by themselves they are great boys. They crack me up. When they are together it is like WWIII sometimes. Everything to them is a competition. They know how to push each others buttons.
Megan wrote: "Jen, Sinatra fan wrote: "Megan wrote: "Finished 
and loved it. Did rereads of 
and
. C..."That's good to know because I started the first book and didn't like it! Can I skip to the second blacktop cowboy book? Or should I just push thru?
Megan wrote: "Kay wrote: "Megan wrote: "I have a one month old....Congrats, Megan!! I've been meaning to say that back when you were pregnant! I hope you, baby and family are doing well!"
Thanks Kay! :) The p..."
Congratulations!! What's beautiful family you have :)
My son is going to be 7 in a month (how did that happen?) an he's mellowed out and is more relaxed and low key. We're planning a Disneyland trip and for the first time it's not stressing me out. No diapers, accidents or naps. We can just go and hang!!I'm excited to see what my boys are like as they get older. But I do think they're handsome, smart and respectful gentlemen. But I'm biased. Haha!!
Off To a concert, traffic sucks!
Marcella wrote: "Congrats Megan! I love babies. It is when they grow up and start throwing attitude that I can live without. I don't have kids. My nephews are my birth control. LOL!"Yeah, I have a 5 year old daughter who started Kindergarten this year. She is great at school but is so tired and cranky when she gets home. Its taken her a while to get used to all day school.
The worse part of my pregnancy this time was I was 12 days overdue. I wouldn't wish that on anyone!!! lol.
Megan I know what you are going through with your daughter. My youngest nephew is 9 is such a cranky turd monster when he gets home. He is an afterschool program due to babysitting issues so my sis doesn't get home with them until 6:00 pm. Boy is he cranky.
I am cranky when I am tired too, scary cranky, lol! My son just told me he is being bullied at school by a new kid. The teacher (our neighbor) is apparantly aware, but it is making my son so sad. He called my son the worst thing a 3rd grade boy can be called -- a girl. My son has longish hair and it is stylsh and cute. I am trying to decide if I should talk to the teacher or wait. The only reason I would wait is because the teacher is aware of the issue so I don't want to pile it on. Maybe I will just email her and say - I know you are aware and I appreciate what you are doing. Thank you.
So I am really enjoying
same author as
but really not the same writing style. What is the same is that the story is developed slowly and indepth and there is really good character development -- and oh the dialogue is very funny and witty. Oh (sorry) the love interest is super sexy and hot but the woman is not a perfect specimen, so that is similar too. I am really enjoying it. Proably 3.5 stars, but for an urban fantasy to hold my interest is a lot right now.
That's too bad, Regina. If he was older, I'd just tell him to laugh at the other kid and say something like 'so you like me huh? sorry but I don't like boys' or something like that. But he's too young for that!My husband was picked on terribly when he was young - he was fat, a very good student and with a big head (it's still big now and he's 6' tall) but he told me he would laugh it off and the other kids would stop doing it.
That is great advice and we tell him to do that and to not get visually upset and give the kid that power. It is complicated by the fact that this kid is new and he is coming in to a classroom that has already been together all through 2nd grade and now again for 3rd grade (all the classes "loop"), so I also feel for this kid. I think we will spend the weekend working on strategies of dealing with it individually. The teacher reads a novel to the class every day and reached the end yesterday -- apparantly it was very sad and Sebastian's good friend started crying (it is a girl, not that it makes a difference) and this new kid laughed at her and pointed. Everyone was horrified. I am not sure I liked how the teacher handled it but she looked at the little girl crying and said, "Sydney ignore him, he has no heart." I am guessing the teacher is now frustrated with how he is acting and was more worried about comforting her and validating the little girl's feelings. Your husband is in such good physical condition now! Funny how life changes us. ;)
It's so hard when they're that young (lex is in 3rd too) because they're developing their identity still. My husband was picked on too (also overweight) and he did the same thing, just laughing it off. But he was older. Lex used to love tomboy things like Dinosaurs and spiderman. But she went to school with a Spiderman backpack and got picked on and now she refuses anything she thinks is 'boy'. It's so hard.
That is hard. We are in a community that has the most gay couples with children in the country, so this type of teasing is really unusual -- my oldest is learning about gay rights in middle school and many of our friends are same sex coules with kids and so calling someone a "girl" or a "boy" is just -- well shocking, lol. We live in a bubble. My son has had long hair for over a year and this is the first he had anyone say anything to him, his close friend is a girl who has her hair cut very close and cropped (I hate to say it -- but like a boy) and she never gets teased. I guess my point is, this is new territory for me -- I haven't had to face this sort of mocking with my kids.I was teased horribly in 6th through 8th grade and it left a big hole in my self esteem. I was a new kid and just too brainy and not like everyone else in my very small town. I remember being too embarrassed to tell anyone about it, and Sebastian (which broke my heart) would only tell me if I hid my face. :( So it hurt him deeply.
Thank you for your stories ladies.
Wendy that ticks me off that Lex's desire to play with certain things got changed b/c of meanies. :( That is so wrong. I don't get why cool things like dinasaurs and spiderman are labled "boy", I loved Star Wars toys when I was a kid.
Good idea about working with him on how to deal with that.Funny that I think of it...but recently I remember two YA books I've read where some characters dealt with bullying with humor and/or being prepared to react. In one, one of the guys was being called a f*got by another guy and he was all "if you want to ask me on a date, ask me properly." All the other kids laughed and that was the end of that.
In another one, the main character was being teased because of her hair color (which was really orange) and her and her mother started thinking of all the ways in which she could be teased and they ended up laughing about it. Then when another girl at school called her Pippi Longstocking the girl just rolled her eyes and said 'really original'.
Oh! Great ideas. :) I love those responses (and hey, I love Pippi!)ETA: Also true is that people will react to Sebastian's hair -- right or wrong, they will. So if he wants it long, he also has to learn to deal with it. I am not saying this is okay, but he has to be prepared to have a come back.
Regina wrote: "Your husband is in such good physical condition now! Funny how life changes us. ;) "My husband is one of the most confident people I've ever met and he was like that as a child. His mother used to be one of the people that teased him about his weight (while buying him ice cream and cookies no less) and when he was 11, he decided to stop eating until he was full and just eat until he was satisfied. He told me he lost 12 pounds in one month just by doing that - he was always very active - and he graduated from high school with the same weight he started...but he was 8 inches taller.
He's had the same weight (plus or minus 5 lbs.) for 30 years. Not the same thing can be said for me. I'm around 25 lbs. heavier than when we got married!
Oh man, Regina that is heart breaking! He must have been so embarrassed. That's just terrible. I'm telling you, bullying is an epidemic. I really feel like people need to really work with their children on the effect that their words and actions can have. Maybe I was born with too much empathy but nothing makes me lose my cool fster than seeing children being verbally cruel on purpose!
now it's one thing when a child says something out of the innocence of just being a child. But when they are just being mean... that's terrible. And you're right, it does leave a hole. Words leave scars. I was in high school and one of my best friends thought it would be funny to call me flat chested (in front of a group) and I'll tell you what, I still remember the embarrassment and the immediate self-conciousness it caused. He apologized and we remained friends for a long time, but even after an apology the words still stay said, they still hurt.
I think emailing his teacher and aknowleding that you are aware it is going on, and thanking her for her assitance in halting it is a great idea. If she knows you know, maybe she'll really make sure to crack down on it.
The boy/girl thing ticks me off too! I still try to get her to look at that stuff, reminding her how much she loved it. But it's a no go. I'm hoping as she grows up and sees that it really doesn't matter as much when you're older she'll come back into her own, and not be so influenced.
Regina wrote: ETA: Also true is that people will react to Sebastian's hair -- right or wrong, they will. So if he wants it long, he also h..."True, Regina. He has to learn to deal with it.
And you're right that people will comment on it. Before I met him, my husband used to have long hair and he was amazed on how many people felt like asking him about it. It really upset him because some of his colleagues didn't even give him his condolences after his wife died but felt they could ask him about his hair. He was all WTH?
Regina wrote: "I remember being too embarrassed to tell anyone about it, and Sebastian (which broke my heart) would only tell me if I hid my face. :( So it hurt him deeply. "Oh, you're going to make me cry. That's so hard. I that you're a great mom and that you will be able to make him feel better and solve this problem. Sounds like this kid is the issue and the teacher or principle needs to talk with him.
I know my husband was made fun of because they were poor and his mom worked in the school cafeteria (I know he was doomed!).
Bulling is such a hurtful thing and I just make sure and teach my boys the right was to act, we spend a lot of time talking about how people feel and how that makes you feel is someone would do that to you. In fact, Garrett my youngest who's in speech sometimes will get made fun of because of the way he talks (Grrrr!!) and one day someone said something to him while we were walking Ethan to school and Ethan got so mad, put his arm around Gar and said, "That's my brother and you will not talk to him that way." The other kid was shocked and I had tears in my eyes. Now that they were more than likely fighting and hating each other but we had a little moment :)
Keep us updated Regina!
Oh, Regina...that is so sad. Bullying sucks! People are more aware of the situation now so I hope the teacher will do something about it. I know you are a great mom and will support him in many ways.
Regina wrote: "I was teased horribly in 6th through 8th grade and it left a big hole in my self esteem..."I went through a period of being teased horribly 5th through 7th grade and I can completely relate to how the damage stays with you. I switched schools to start over and ended up becoming quite socially active, with lots of friends and boyfriend prospects. Even when I should have been happy that my life had turned around for the positive, I was still insecure in my own skin. It's something that I still struggle with today. No matter how pretty/popular/successful you become, there's a part of you that always feels like you're that old version of yourself.
I hope things work out for your son. I wish there was something to say other than we're here for you.
On the book front...
Finished
and it was...different. I really liked one of the characters and the story itself wasn't boring, but there were a lot of plot holes and questions that needed to be answered. I, unfortunately, had to rate it low because the world building was sloppy and the main character frustrated me at times, but I'm interested enough that I'll check out book 2.
Finished
.Going to start
. I hope this one turns out better than the last book I read!
Thanks ladies, it is worst than I thought. He is also calling my son "gay" and another kid "fat". I emailed the teacher who responded on a Sunday. So hopefully things improve.
I am reading
I have it from the library and I forgot I need to get through it!
Currently reading
and
, both very good so far!! Also just finished
, which was one of the best written books I've read in a long time!
Regina wrote: "Thanks ladies, it is worst than I thought. He is also calling my son "gay" and another kid "fat". I emailed the teacher who responded on a Sunday. So hopefully things improve."I'm so sorry! I hope the teacher can stop this bullying. No child should deal with that at school. Grrr!! That makes me so mad!
How are you doing with the news?
Thanks Leea. I feel good that the teacher will address it and we have been talking to Sebastian about how to address it. I asked him if he knew what "gay" meant and he said no. So I said, "You now the women across the street that are FBI agents -- aren't they cool? Do you know Rachel and Cate's moms next door -- they are our closest friends? You know Sebastian and Esteban's dads ....you know Claire and Nate's moms ... and on and on" And Sebastian was like, "That's all?! That isn't a bad thing!" It was funny. So I think his real life experiences deflated the hurt of the word. But I am waiting to see how he deals with today at school and the report from the teacher. It is hard to watch our kids hurting. :(
Romance, Historical or Otherwise
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On Dublin Street was really good. I stayed up all night reading it, and I have a one month old, so going without more sleep is just crazy, but I couldn't stop reading it.
Black Top Cowboys series is great. The 1st book was my least favorite, but 2-4 were all great.